Australia's stonefruit growers are expected to benefit from their representative body joining a farmer group with more sway in the nation's capital.

The National Farmers' Federation (NFF) announced yesterday that Summerfruit Australia had joined its ranks, in a move that will give producers more of a voice on national policies that affect the horticulture industry.

"We warmly welcome Summerfruit Australia to the NFF family, and look forward to working more closely with the stone fruit industry," NFF president Brent Finlay said in a release.

"The future holds unmatched potential for Australia's horticulture sector. The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Science (ABARES) predicts the real value of fruit and vegetable consumption in the ASEAN region to nearly double by 2050, with net imports reaching US$8 billion.

"To capture opportunities like this we must unify: working together, speaking with one voice, under one brand. This type of collaboration will help foster meaningful trade relationships across the region, moving more of our premium, safe and sustainable produce across the seas and driving home better export returns."

Summerfruit Australia represents approximately 1,200 peach, plum, nectarine and apricot growers around the country, with a combined total production of 100,000 metric tons (MT) annually.

"Our role at Summerfruit Australia is to equip stone fruit growers with the tools and programs they need to optimise farm business profitability, and to represent their interests at all levels across government and industry," the organization's CEO John Moore said in the release.

"We look forward to work with the NFF on the key issues facing not only our industry, but the broader agricultural sector, including better market access, fair irrigation allocations and protecting our produce from exotic pest incursions."

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